tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post5690467079155851117..comments2016-12-08T11:10:00.186-05:00Comments on Boston 1775: Academic History, Popular History, and Jefferson’s SlaveholdingJ. L. Bellnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-28141988663608871692012-11-29T21:13:48.096-05:002012-11-29T21:13:48.096-05:00Gordon-Reed started her review criticizing Wiencek...Gordon-Reed started her review criticizing Wiencek for the journalistic flaw of chasing the &quot;scoop,&quot; so she did draw a line between historians and other types of writers. But I agree that that&#39;s not really the issue, either in evaluating the book or in understanding the energy of the response. More tomorrow. J. L. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405157000473731801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-36700082109255530182012-11-29T19:22:30.926-05:002012-11-29T19:22:30.926-05:00I really don&#39;t see this as an academic vs. pop...I really don&#39;t see this as an academic vs. popular historian issue. Fundamentally, this is about integrity in historical writing. And I believe that academically-trained historians have a duty to call out bad history whether it&#39;s by a fellow academic or, perhaps even more importantly, by a trade press author. Unfortunately, in the press coverage, Wiencek has decided to take the posture of being persecuted by academics for daring to practice history &quot;without a license,&quot; so to speak. <br /><br />I, like many others, I believe, find not only his use of sources and the argument he derives from them troubling, but particularly his mischaracterization of other historians&#39; work. And, for that, he should be taken to task. Wiencek has deliberately mischaracterized the work of prominent scholars and ignored the work of others in order to take advantage of and mislead a popular audience as to the importance of his own work. For me, that is his greatest sin in this whole affair.Michael D. Hattemhttp://michaelhattem.tumblr.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-4860240897468905132012-11-29T12:19:01.777-05:002012-11-29T12:19:01.777-05:00Yes, publishers of all sorts, academic and commerc...Yes, publishers of all sorts, academic and commercial, face competition for potential readers&#39; time from other media and therefore have been seeking books that might command larger audiences. Nobody wants uncommercial monographs, the more successful university presses are commissioning books that the higher-end commercial presses used to issue, and the big trade publishers are chasing blockbusters. Hence the pressure to proclaim every history book as containing significant new revelations.<br /><br />The arrival of digital books as a real market force in the past few years is shaking that up further. That change is opening new opportunities for authors and publishers, but the economics are still being worked out. J. L. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15405157000473731801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-32120089200983824332012-11-29T09:55:00.868-05:002012-11-29T09:55:00.868-05:00Thank you for the insights relative to the tension...Thank you for the insights relative to the tensions between popular historians and academicians. I like to think that enthusiasm for the subject and collegiality about sharing rigorous scholarship in primary sources combine to trump various sources of tension. <br />Emerging realities of the publishing landscape may add to tensions. Academic presses, their budgets constricted,are hard pressed to publish scholarly titles for a limited readership while at the same being being tempted to reach for a broader, more commercial public by appealing to general audiences (dumbing down, as some might say). Meanwhile consolidations in commercial publishing of hard copy history books and diminished author royalties accompanying lower priced ebooks, are characteristics of the emerging publishing world in general, factors dampening the prospects and remuneration of both popular and scholarly authors.Dr. Sam Formanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14393878160942696386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28102666.post-22232360394423735972012-11-29T09:11:13.411-05:002012-11-29T09:11:13.411-05:00I like all the attention being given to Jefferson....I like all the attention being given to Jefferson. He is certainly one of the more complex figures of all our so-called Founding Fathers. I&#39;ve really enjoyed a site called &quot;the Thomas Jefferson Hour&quot;. This is an NPR program and the website can be found here: http://www.jeffersonhour.com/<br /><br />Be sure to download Podcast 994, &quot;The Darkside&quot; for further facts, thoughts and opinions on Jefferson&#39;s slaveholding. This site is clearly on the academic side, but it contains so much more about our third President.Waldo4mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07577350666062651359noreply@blogger.com